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The Owl Fic
“We can’t just run away! They’ll kill us!” “As I was saying, if we return to Athan…” “With all due respect, I don’t trust like that.” “So we should just go start Spiral War 3 instead?” Blossari’s cough shouldn’t have been that loud, against this vocal chaos. But somehow, likely from decades of preaching to an entire chapel without magical aid, it carried across the whole field, and silenced it. “If I may, Harbingers.” Blossari intoned. “I’d like to offer some advice from an old Herald.” Az smiled, stepped back to give his father room. Beside him, Crow rolled his eyes as Blossari began his speech. Silent, Az playfully elbowed his brother. Crow nudged him back- and a single owl feather fell from his sleeve. Crow didn’t notice, but Az did, and snatched it before it hit the ground. He held it up to Crow, eyebrows raised. Crow saw it, blinked, then raised his hands in a shrug. Squinting at him, Az mouthed “we’ll talk later”. But his father was still talking, so he let it be, for now. ' ' (Later) “The owl’s fine.” “No, obviously, I knew that.” Az chuckled. “What about the dossier?” Play dumb! “What dossier?” Not that dumb! Crow looked away. “It’s uh, also safe.” “Can I have it?” Az wasn’t angry. Yet. “So, that’s the thing.” From one of the many pockets of his robe, Crow produced a rolled scroll. Seal broken. Az reached a hand for it; Crow stared only at the hand. “If you really want to read it, I won’t stop you.” Crow said. “''But''. Know that once you do, there’s no going back.” Az’s fingers curled into his palm. “What do you mean?” “I read it, Az, and there’s some stuff in there… you won’t like.” “What kind of stuff?” Crow took a deep breath. “Loret stuff.” Az’s posture immediately hardened; Crow’s immediately retreated. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t read it. You have a right to know.” reassured Crow, quickly. “ I’m just saying you shouldn’t read it now. There’s going to be a war, Az, and you’re going to have to help lead it. I- no, the world needs you to be in your right mind.” “It’s that bad?” Az asked, and Crow’s lack of response was a response in itself. Az sighed. “I trust you, Crow. But if there’s anything in there that would help us in the war…” Crow nodded. “I’ll tell you everything I can.” He started to put the dossier back away, but Az grabbed his wrist and stopped him. “Give it to me.” Once again, Az held out his hand for it, and the terror in Crow’s quivering was immense, and intriguing. “I won’t read it. Not yet. But I think I should have the option.” Crow blinked, and swallowed, and Az was impossibly curious as to what was in that dossier, to do such things to Crow. But his brother nodded, and pressed the scroll into his hand. (Crow knew, from here on out, Az was three inches from an instant revelation, a powerful internal crisis that would end him, and Crow, and if they were very lucky, the entire world.)